Rural Mom’s Guide: Tips for Planning Ahead

Have you seen that meme that says “I thought I’d be a Pinterest mom, but turns out I’m more of an Amazon Prime mom”?

Yeah? Well, that’s me. We are from a rural farming town in western Oklahoma and we are a little far from civilization (the nearest Wal-Mart is thirty miles away) so being prepared is key! We are fortunate enough to have a few locally owned diners, but the hours vary. Our one stop light town does have a Dollar General, however, usually they don’t have whatever you need at the last minute. So, my lifesaving rule is: Planning Ahead

What happens when we use the last diaper on a Sunday night, and Dollar General is out of Pampers, and your baby is allergic to Huggies? Do I make that dreaded thirty-mile drive at 9 p.m.? Well, yes, of course, and I make my Amazon Prime subscription deliver a few days sooner. (Fortunately, this situation has only occurred once) Which is why I write to you about being a rural mom and planning ahead! (This is totally applicable for non-rural mom’s too!)

Now- I am a list person. I make lists for all things, grocery lists, chore lists, tasks-to-be-completed lists…I even make a list for my daily endeavors. So the tips below should give you some insight on how I do it as a farmer’s wife, in a rural town, 14 miles from city limits, and thirty miles from the nearest “city”. Mind you, I also work full-time, have a photography business on the side, and help my husband drive a tractor or combine when he needs me. So, please let me enlighten you with one of my “lists” of tips below:

Tips:

I try to go to the store during the day, when crowds are minimal. (And so I can stand in the aisle with my iPhone calculator in hand comparing the price per diaper in the jumbo pack.)

The List – usually ahead of time, I compare prices and coupons available at Wal-Mart and Walgreens.

Consider Necessary vs. Accessory- (Do I really need the cute little hand sanitizer that is only $1 more when I purchase the boogie wipes?)

Is This Enough? Always buy extra! I have found, you can never purchase too many baby wipes, or baby food packets.

Amazon Prime-Is it worth it? I say YES! What more could you ask for? Diapers delivered to your door in 48 hours or less. And saving at least 5% when using subscribe and save! *you can also create lists on your amazon account too 🙂

Coupons are good too- they may seem like a pain, and you might hold up the line–but ladies, have no shame when you are dolla savin’!

Plan ahead- try to take a tally of exactly how many food packets you go through on the daily, add 1 more, and then plan your time between grocery trips. (Ex: Two 2-packs/day, go to the store one time per week…Need to purchase at least twelve to fourteen 2-packs)

Plan shopping trips around doctor’s visits or meetings. Have an hour to kill before the doctor appointment? Perfect time to run in Walgreens and use your rewards points to purchase an extra pack of diapers, with that coupon that keeps falling out of your wallet.

Follow social media deal sites- Sometimes there are some amazing deals where you can score free items!

Those are just a few of my favorite tips that I use on the daily. I always download apps and search the coupons or deals the store has available before making a purchase. I’m sure most of you mamas are familiar with technology these days, and it only takes a few minutes out of your day! This list (as well as a few others) has saved me from making extra trips to the store for forgotten items, and overspending!

Until next time, keep an eye out for those deals, and make those lists!